Roy Hargrove Moment To Moment CD

Personnel includes: Roy Hargrove (trumpet, flugelhorn); Larry Willis (arranger, piano); Gil Goldstein, Cedar Walton (arranger); Sherman Irby (alto saxophone); Gerald Cannon (bass); Willie Jones III (drums).
Personnel: Roy Hargrove (trumpet, flugelhorn); Cynthia Baehr, Jenny Bifano (violin); Eleanor Angel, Kenneth Harrison (viola); Stanley Poplin (cello); Sherman Irby (alto saxophone).
Audio Mixer: Al Schmitt.
Liner Note Authors: Larry Clothier; Philip Elwood.
Recording information: 10/04/1999-10/10/1999.
Photographer: Michael Piazza.
Following in the well-trod footsteps of Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, Clifford Brown, Chet Baker, and Wynton Marsalis, among others, Roy Hargrove has his day with strings, purveying moody, lovelorn ballads at glacial tempos. At first, one's hopes are raised that this could turn out to be one of the best attempts in this field. The leadoff track "You Go to My Head" is gorgeous; Hargrove plays soulfully and inwardly, and pianist Larry Willis's arrangement is emotionally satisfying without being cloying. However, the disc continues on and on in this fashion, one tune seeming to blend into another, one arrangement sounding like the next (besides Willis, who contributes five charts, Gil Goldstein does three others, and Cedar Walton chips in two). Even Hargrove tries his own hand at string arranging on his composition "Natural Wonders"; the results are noticeably less sophisticated and not as richly-harmonized as the others on the disc. Sherman Irby acts as a capable foil on alto sax, and bassist Gerald Cannon and drummer Willie Jones III have little else to do but keep their gently booming and rustling sounds moving. Whether on flugelhorn or trumpet, Hargrove's undoubted sincerity and musicality go only a limited distance over the 68-minute span of the CD before simply repeating themselves out. CDs like this make one wish that the 10" LP was back; that time frame was just long enough for some of jazz's best string albums of the past. ~ Richard S. Ginell
As with most great soloists, Roy Hargrove's discography would not be complete without an album of romantic ballads accompanied by a lush string orchestra. MOMENT TO MOMENT is the trumpeter's first foray into this popular format, and he accomplishes his mission with musicality and style.
Like Miles Davis before him, Hargrove possesses a restrained melancholy that he reserves for occasions such as this. Sticking mostly to flugelhorn, his blue tone and practiced control mesh with the cushioning strings to create a smoky atmosphere perfectly suited to the heartfelt melodies of familiar works like "You Go to My Head" and "I Fall in Love Too Easily." Some of the most expressive highlights of the disc include the Sinatra classic "I'm a Fool to Want You," Ray Noble's "The Very Thought of You," and Pat Metheny's "Always and Forever."Entertainment Weekly (5/26/00, p.75) - "...A dozen romantic ballads, backed by straightforward strings. Poised, pure-toned, and respectful of composers, he shines on first-rate vintage faves like 'You Go To My Head'..." - Rating: B-